The Song of Gratitude
by Zephyra Cobalt
Summary: Melody Hunter was just a regular English law student until her best friend called out an akuma. Unexpectedly she was saved by a mysterious, angelic young man, at the same time awakening her own anti-akuma weapon. Thus begins her journey to the Black Order on a mission to find her savior and give her thanks amid the turmoil of a hidden war.
1. Prelude

Song 1: Nostalgic Prelude

Do you sometimes look at yourself in the mirror and think of your life? Do you sometimes wonder, "How did I get here"? It's like you've been walking along the path of life so long and seen the same things so many times that you never noticed when that rock over there was a little bit bigger than the other rocks you've seen, or that maybe the grass down the other side of the road was just a little taller. Then the grass gives way to reeds, and the reeds to bushes and trees, and you would never notice until you're in a forest that's too dark to see much in.

Maybe, if I had been paying attention, I would have noticed something changing. Of course, hindsight is 20/20. My foresight seems to be as poor as my prescription. I could say easily that everything started when my mother gave me my grandmother's silver and jade choker amulet, but at that time, I didn't know what it was. I accepted it because it was Grandmother's, with all of the memories of when she was still alive, and all the songs she used to sing. I could say it began when I went to England to study law, psychology, singing and religion, but how do I know it wouldn't have just happened in my native Canada? So, I guess things really began with an accident, and a decision that I couldn't change.


	2. Requiem

Song 2: Requiem

_Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine,_

_et lux perpetua luceat eis._

My name is Melody Hunter. I'm nothing special, just another 22-year-old student of law. My parents wanted me to try to become a lawyer, since I'm apparently not cut out for medicine. I'm not even sure I'll be able to complete the course. I'm told the dropout rate is at least 50%. I've been taking singing, psychology and religion on the side. Sometimes I wonder if I would be okay as a musician instead of a lawyer…but I've come so far down the road of law I can't really back out now, even though I rather dislike law and politics. I can't say that I'm doing too badly, though. I'm at least managing to score low A's on most of my courses. I'm still nothing spectacular now, but I've got a night job now.

It's a strange night job, and one that's hard to juggle with my daytime status as a student. But I'm getting ahead of myself. There is nothing in the world that happens without an antecedent, and arriving at this rather specialized post was a journey full of trouble.

There was this girl in my class, she was my best friend. Her name was Clara Seymour. She and I were of the same age, and back then, when I only had to focus on school. We had the same interests…and the same disinclinations. Neither of us wanted anything to do with politics- goodness knows we got enough of that at home, what with being daughters of rich families. If it weren't the only way to escape becoming a trophy wife, we wouldn't have come for this.

And then, Clara got a boyfriend. It wasn't that long ago…his name was Joshua. He was a good guy- kind, caring, and saw Clara as his equal. All of us were together in one class. I was so happy for her. Heh…he used to get so flustered around her, it was cute. I still remember when he would call me at the most random times to ask what Clara liked to do, to eat, to read, what her favourite gemstones were, right up until I had to hang up on him and tell him to go ask her himself. He even told me that day that he would propose to her after they graduated.

He never got his chance.

He was driving Clara home that night. I happened to be walking by that intersection when they were passing, coming home with groceries. I waved at them…and that was the last I ever saw of Joshua and Clara's goofy smiles. Another car drove much too quickly into their lane and hit them. The crash was huge, and it all happened so, so fast, but every second felt like forever. An ambulance came, and I barely noticed. They pulled Joshua and Clara out. I was just close enough to hear them pronounce Joshua dead on scene.

After that, I went to the hospital, hoping to be there when Clara woke up…and to be nearby when they broke the bad news to her. Clara and Joshua were very close, so I expected her to take the news hard. She didn't take it well, of course, but I didn't know at the time just how badly she took it, not until it was much too late. I tried my best to comfort her. She spilled her heart to me, about what she and Joshua would be doing, how he'd hinted at a proposal…I didn't have the nerve to tell her that he was going to propose at the end of the month. I tried taking her around, distracting her…none of it worked. She had a smile that was as thin as a wood veneer to hide the depression she was carrying with her. The last days of law school were barely enough to keep with us, and I suspect she went to the graveyard every night.

The day we graduated, I looked evil right in the eyes. Clara wanted to visit Joshua's grave in the evening, to tell him we both graduated, and that she was okay, even though she wasn't. We went at night, since its bad practice to visit a cemetery on a day of celebration. The moon was but a sliver, starting the cycle, and right under it near Joshua's grave, this huge, fat man that looked like a poorly drawn caricature of a gentleman with this huge, creepy smile was standing, as though he had been waiting for us. We didn't pay attention to him…until he started talking to us.

"Oh my, you look terrible, Clara 3. Shouldn't you be happier? You just graduated today, after all." The fat man said. I wished he would leave. Not only did it feel like he was invading our privacy, but there was just something that I couldn't place, something…_wrong._

"Josh should have been here to see this…" she said in a dead voice.

"Oh, that's too sad, a crying shame! Would you like me to revive Joshua Sanders? 3" he asked. That didn't sound right…there was no way to bring back the dead, surely?

"Can you…can you do that?" Clara asked. Hope, I heard hope in her voice. That was bad.

"Clara, wait, isn't bringing back the dead impossible? And what if you're disrupting his peace?" I tried to stop her, but she knocked me aside.

"I thought it was impossible for anything this bad to happen and look how it turned out! I want to see Josh, and I think he wants to see me too. Don't stop me from this, Melody!" her voice was almost fevered, driven frantic by a false hope. I felt suddenly cold, and glanced up fast enough to catch a soul-chilling glare from that fat man. His intentions were nothing good, I knew that much. Perhaps I already knew then that I probably wouldn't survive the night without a miracle.

"Wonderful~3. All you have to do is stand right here," he said, guiding Clara to a spot in front of what looked to be a giant black model kit skeleton that gave off a nearly miasmic bad aura. "And call his name! 3 Nice and easy, and you will be together forever 3!"

"Joshua Sanders!" her hopeful cry echoed so far I think even the angels would have heard it. The skeleton glowed and stepped off…but far from looking happy, it- no, he was anguished.

"Clara…what have you done to me?! This isn't how we were supposed to meet! You've turned me into a monster!" Joshua said, disappointed and in despair.

"Well, well, well, that's no way to thank me~3," the fat man said. "You know what to do, I'm sure! And you may as well take that interfering little midget out too." The fat man gestured at me, even as Joshua's hands turned into daggers. I saw them swing once, and hope turned to shock. I saw them swing twice, and Clara was no more. He came towards me, her blood dripping off his blades.

"You could have stopped her, Melody. You should have stopped her!" he roared, charging at me. I only just managed to get out of the way in time. He didn't pause and again I only barely escaped. I felt a foreign heat coming from my amulet and something strange on my head, but I was so concerned with trying just to survive I didn't know what was happening. I couldn't even scream for help, the fear had rendered me mute. I ran and jumped and dodged as much as I could, still reeling from now Clara's death, that Joshua was trying to kill me, and that fat man that was just sitting there and laughing. Then that fat man jumped in my way, and boxed me with my back to a tombstone, my side to a fence, him in front and Joshua charging in for the kill.

"Where's your voice now, little bird, hm? You've been very naughty, and now you must pay for annoying the Millennium Earl 3. Ta-ta, birdie! Maybe we'll meet again with you as my puppet 3." he said. So his name is the Millennium Earl. Well, that bit of information was rather useless, and I thought for sure I would die. I braced myself for the killing blow…but it never came.

White. My vision was filled with it. Soft, feathery, comforting white, as though it were an angel's wings, but blindingly bright for all its gentleness. Dimly, like it was much farther than it was, I heard the sounds of metal on metal, something about "akuma", demons, the Earl…and the voice of my saviour, politely saying "good evening" even though he was angry, and "I'm sorry, rest in peace" towards Joshua, like a kindly father. I heard distantly the anger of the Earl and then through the safety of the white shield, felt the Earl leave.

Such radiance! Even when he turned to look at me, I couldn't see properly. Heck, I can't even remember what he said that well. I know the sound of his voice, the qualities of it, but I don't know his face, or even what I should be looking for if I wanted to find him again. My voice hadn't returned to me so I couldn't thank him for saving me. I was in shock. I couldn't even concentrate on what the guy was saying- I heard him ask if I was ok, so I nodded, then I heard him saying something about having "Innocence", "The Black Order" and some random address where an old castle/parliamentary building was supposed to be, if I remembered right. Then everything caught up to me and the world turned black.


	3. Path to the Precipice

Song 3: Path to the Precipice

_Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est._

_Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor._

I woke up with my face in a damp white pillow. That's strange, I don't remember coming here. I remember coming from the graduation party with Clara to visit Joshua's grave…

The grave.

I rolled over, and had to squint against the light. There was a fiercely bright lamp overhead. I could smell alcohol in the air- I was in the hospital? How did I…?

"Oh thank the Lord, you're awake!" my aunt came in with a nurse. "How do you feel, Melody? Does anything hurt? Aiyah, your mother would have a fit if she saw you like this! Do you have any idea how scared I was when that young priest brought you in here?!" Priest? Oh, maybe it was that angelic young man that saved me last night.

"I'm fine, Aunty, although breakfast would be nice," I replied. I took a breath, steeling myself for the answer I knew would come with my next question. I already knew the truth, but hearing someone else say it felt like there was no more hope. "…Aunty, where's Clara? I, I went with her last night to Bunhill and…" I couldn't see anything, I didn't have my glasses, but I could feel something changing, like the atmosphere got heavier. "Aunty?"

"Melody…I don't know how to tell you this, but…Clara was found stabbed to death in front of Joshua's grave. I'm sorry, I know she was your best friend, and to end like that…" Aunty said. Her voice was quiet, but full of regret. I guess I can be thankful that she at least wasn't dripping sympathy. I would be hearing more of that soon.

I could feel tears pricking at my eyes. She was gone. She would never come back, and the only time I will ever see her is in a picture, or when I die, hopefully… I prayed that she had no foolish friends or family that would try to resurrect her. I resisted the urge to cry, though. Clara always used to smack me when I did that, saying she hated watching people cry. "It's…it's for the best, I guess. At least she and Josh are together now…"

"They had the funeral today, while you were recovering." Aunty told me.

"Oh…"

"Miss, if you could turn this way, I'm going to give you a checkup to see if you're fit to go." The nurse said, using a stethoscope to check my breathing and heart rate. "Breathe deeply…yes, that's good. Are you in any pain anywhere?" She began to prod me in various places. I shook my head. "Alright, you seem to be fully recovered. You're free to go."

"Thank you," I didn't get up just yet though.

"We could go visit the grave later, when you are discharged. They're doing an investigation to try to find out what happened." Aunty told me. "They think she killed herself, but they couldn't find a weapon."

"…I think I should wait on that, Aunty. I don't want to tempt fate. I would like to go somewhere first, though."

"Where would that be, Melody?" Aunty asked. Was it just me or did I hear suspicion in her voice?

"Do you know of an ancient castle or parliament building on a moor somewhere around London?" I asked her.

"…Melody, what's this all about? There is one but it hasn't been used for years..." Aunty said.

"I heard it was converted into a chapel or something recently…The priest that brought me in here saved me last night-"

"Saved you?! From what?! Were there hooligans in the cemetery?!" Aunty nearly squawked.

"It's…Aunty, do you think demons exist?" I could feel my face heat up but I knew I wouldn't blush. I started feeling around for my glasses and found them on the nightstand. They were a bit cracked but I could still see out of them, thankfully. Aunty had a suspicious expression.

"...Yes, demons exist. I have seen them, and so has your mother, when we were children. That amulet that used to belong to your grandmother has saved us before. Is there something you aren't telling me, Melody?" Aunty asked as I finally got out of bed.

"Yes, there's something I can't easily say in here…can we go back to your house please? There's something I need to ask about." I get the feeling she knows something. Hopefully I can find my answers.

We rode back to Aunty's house on a horse-drawn carriage. Aunty was probably feeling as impatient as I was. As soon as we got through the door, she locked it and closed the windows, sitting me down in the kitchen while she tensely got breakfast on the table. "Alright Melody, what really happened last night? You were there when Clara died and she doesn't seem like the kind of girl that would kill herself in front of her best friend." She slid a plate full of syrup-covered waffles with eggs and sausages in front of me, for which I was thankful. It was ten in the morning and I was very hungry.

I ate a bit to stall for time. "I…I saw a fat man that looked like a goblin last night. He performed some kind of ritual with Clara. Joshua came back as a monster. He could speak for himself but not control his movements. He killed Clara." I told her the short version, not wanting to remember it myself. It hurt to remember, it hurt worse to say it out loud. It was such an ugly, ugly thing to happen to a deceased person.

"…How did you survive then? I think I know what monster you're thinking of, and only the very lucky or blessed ever escape with their lives." Aunty said. I could hear suspicion creeping into her voice again. No, not just suspicion, there's worry too. As though she thinks there's something else I'll do.

"I was saved by…a young man. I don't know who he is. I just remember a lot of white, it reminded me of an angel's wings, gentle, but fiercely radiant. I never got to thank him. He sent Joshua on and scared off the fat goblin man… and then said something about this place here." I was more guarded with my words. You know that tone you hear from your mom or dad when you think that whatever you say next, they'll try to say no to? That's what I heard in it.

"The Black Order." Aunty said suddenly. "Your saviour is probably from the Black Order. My goodness, what a cruel joke…and I supposed this is the place you wanted to go to, right?" She had a sour smile on her face.

"Yes, I want to go there. But what is the Black Order? You don't seem very happy about it…"

"Of course I'm not. I support them from afar, for I am wealthy and can make charitable donations to them. But I also know, thanks to your grandmother, far more than I should about the place. They fight demons like the one Joshua turned into…but as far as I know, if you are found suitable to be one of their warriors, you may never see your family again." Aunty said gravely. I gulped. That was…daunting.

"But surely you can choose…right?" I asked her, getting caught up in the moment.

"They say you can, but the truth is that you have no choice. I suspect your grandmother's amulet is actually a talisman to fight off the demons with. If you've woken it up, it doesn't matter which path you take, it will all go to the same place. If you join them, you will be their warrior until you die, and most of them die young. If you don't, you will attract demons to yourself, and you'll have to fight them anyways. The only difference is that you will die faster if you're alone." Aunty spoke as though she were listing facts, but through the deadness in it, I could hear hurt, and fear. Was she afraid of the Black Order? Or was she worried about something else?

"Aunty, let's figure it out when we get there. They are still part of the Church, so surely they aren't heartless. I'm not even sure I can join, never mind what I want to do. All I want to do is find the young man who saved my life, and thank him," I said, hoping to forestall any more bad news. That, and I could use some solace…a Church is a Church, and goodness knows I need a place to get over the loss of my best friend. I finished the last of my breakfast and went to wash my dishes. "Aunty, can we go today, please?"

"I feel like this will possibly be the last time I ever get to see you, but I also know there is no stopping you when you get that look in your eyes. We'll go after lunch, once we pick up your suitcase from the university." Aunty said. Her voice was moody, and she's really unhappy about this…did I do the right thing by asking for this?

I shouldn't be second-guessing myself like this. I promised Clara that I would try to fix this indecisiveness I have. I can't allow myself to be weak-spirited like this or I might do something stupid- that is if what I'm trying to do right now isn't an idiot's venture.


	4. Battle Hymn of the Young Hawk

Song 4: Battle Hymn of the Young Hawk

_Into the wind, into the fire_

_Her wings cut away the doubt that binds her._

In between breakfast and lunch, which was all of three hours for me, Aunty and I did the house chores and went through old photo albums. Aunty had different pictures of grandma, most of which were taken by grandma herself. It seems like grandma back then liked to take a camera everywhere with her. Grandma must have loved those people, the other members of the Black Order. She had so many pictures of them. It was striking how young they were. Most of them were teenagers, younger than me, and there were some my age…it was a bit scary to note that in all the pictures she took there were only about three to five older Clergymen for the entire group of younger people. I saw a picture of the building they lived at- apparently they were still in the same place. I also saw a lot of pictures of demons. Lots and lots of different kinds were in Grandma's photo album. There were many pictures of grandpa too. In most of them, Grandpa looked like a spunky delinquent with a pair of boomerang swords.

Aunty told me a little about what was in each picture. There was a middle aged man in one of them that vaguely reminded me of a large, cranky panda bear. "Aunty, who's this person?"

"That guy was called "Bookman" if I remember right. He was a strange person. He'd always be drifting around, saying cryptic things that your mother and I never understood. He's a very good fighter though." Aunty replied.

"All the pictures of the Black Order building are on cloudy days…" I noticed after a while.

"Their weather is rather turbulent on most days," Aunty said, but didn't elaborate on it. "…Are you sure about this, Melody?"

"I want to find my saviour-" I started but she cut me off.

"Are you sure you want to go to the Black Order?" she said again.

"Yes. Whatever happens after that…I'll cross that bridge when I get there," I told her.

Aunty sighed again, and then got up. I think she went to make lunch. I spent some more time looking at the album. The demon pictures fascinated me, in a really macabre way. Some of the pictures showed grandma fighting a demon with a whip-like weapon. I noticed a small white cross-marking on the handle, where the pictures showed her using a different grip. I wondered if it was the same as the one on the amulet I inherited from her. I didn't get a chance to check, however, since Aunty called me up for lunch right then. I took the album with me, meaning to ask Aunty about some of it.

Aunty made pasta for lunch. I was happy about that- although I could eat anything happily, I had a particular liking for noodles. I forgot to ask what I had in mind- I never did get another chance to, at least, not in the way that I liked. Like, for instance, why was I being shown this particular album? It was almost she was priming me for something…

"Thank you, Aunty. That was very tasty." I told her when we'd finished eating.

"I'm glad you liked it. Oh, you brought the photo album with you. Why don't you keep it with you? There are still some empty pages you can add your own memories to. You're going to be moving into your own place after today, if I remember what you told me. You can take your grandmother's camera too, I'm sure she'd want you to have it." Aunty told me. I had a very strange feeling about it…it was as though she already knew something about me that I had yet to find out. "Well, let's not linger around here! If you want to go give your thanks to that young priest, we might as well do this sooner rather than later. I told you before they don't tend to last long in their line of work."

Aunty gave me a brown messenger bag, putting the camera and the photo album in it. Then she led me to her garage, where we both got into her car. "Thank you, Aunty." She nodded, smiling, though I'm not sure if that was a happy smile or not.

"Well, at least little sister brought you up properly. I wonder how much you'll be thanking me for doing this soon, though," she said enigmatically. I would be lying if I said I wasn't getting just a bit annoyed with Aunty. What was with the cryptic phrases, and the feeling that she was driving me to my execution or something? And yet, even as I pondered this, I knew she wouldn't tell me unless she absolutely had to.

We stopped at the university first. I found my suitcases in the foyer of the dorm house I lived in during my time as a student here. The house guard was standing nearby, handing the departing students their things so as to avoid thefts. The school wasn't liable for stolen goods, but still, this guard, William, he wanted to prevent it in any way he could.

"Melody Hunter?" he asked when I came up to the counter.

"Yes sir."

"Alright, just give me a moment…here, and here. Just two?" he asked.

"Yes. Thank you sir."

"Good luck out there, Melody. We'll miss you here. You'd better not stop singing, no matter what, you hear?" he said suddenly, breaking a small grin. "It'll be terribly quiet without your joyful singing, little lark. …I'm sorry about Clara."

"Thank you, sir…I'll miss everyone here too, and…I'm sure…Clara is a better place…now…" I couldn't stop myself from choking on the last bit. Clara. Why did it have to be you, Clara?

I took my bags with me and got back into Aunty's car. After that, we drove for a long time. At least, it felt like a long time. We were on the road for a few hours and neither of us was talking much. Even the air felt tense and moody. When we left it was still somewhat sunny, but being in England, it didn't take long for the rain clouds to return. As we travelled further and further away from the heart of the city, it seemed to become chillier and the clouds were thicker and darker. At last we stopped in front of a tall hill whose only way up was a thin, winding path that didn't look very well used.

"Goodness, I've heard that the path of virtue and goodness was narrow and hard, but these people seem to have taken it a bit too literally." I tried to lighten the mood as we climbed up.

"Indeed," Aunty replied with a small smile. "But so is the path of life. Harsh, unforgiving, it has a few nice patches, but many places where the road is broken off."

The climb was long and arduous. By the time we'd gotten to the top, which felt like it had taken hours, the sky was nearly black- I couldn't tell if that was because of the time or because of the clouds. That was unsettling. And it didn't help my nerves when I started to get the distinct feeling of being watched.

"…Aunty, I feel like something's watching us." I said quietly, even as we approached the door. It made no sound, so I couldn't tell if it was a friend or foe.

"Pretend you didn't notice anything. Draw it out. If it's a friend, nothing will happen. If it's an enemy, well, we're near help," she answered tersely.

As I soon found out, we didn't have to wait for very long. There was a faint clicking sound, like the barrel of a gun. Before I could even think the profanities appropriate to the situation, my Aunty had tackled me to the ground. My glasses flew off and the world went out of focus.

"Get down!" she shouted, and the next thing I heard were bullets whizzing through the air. They smelled kind of odd as well, not like the regular bullets that left a burnt scent, but an oily scent…like blood, almost. I twisted around, trying to see if I could at least make out the shape of what was firing on us.

I wish I hadn't.

I couldn't see what it was, exactly, other than that it had some dark splotch for a face, a really big, round body and lots of rod-like things that I guess are gun barrels. It looked like a misplaced sea mine or a mutated balloon. Faintly, I thought I could hear wailing or screaming coming from it, but I hadn't had time to ponder further. Its guns were turning again and both Aunty and I were just getting to our feet. If one of those bullets hit us, I was sure it would be the end of us. Aunty grabbed my hand and dragged me to the side of the road, thinking to hide in the boulders.

"Wait here," she said quietly, slipping away into the dark. "I'll try to go get help, and pray, pray that your grandmother's amulet will protect you while I'm out."

"No-" I tried to stop her, but it was too late. She'd gone, and whether she was well or not, I didn't know. I was stuck alone behind a rock, unsure of what was out there, and blind as a bat to boot. I could hear explosions, clunking, whirring noises, getting closer to me. _"Oh Lord. Please let me get through this alive, please don't let Aunty die trying to get help…"_ I felt the amulet around my throat start to burn as though in response to my thoughts. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Last night when it started doing that I was being chased by a demon… and I just had to look up!

It was much closer, practically on top of me now, and yes, it had to be a demon. It had the most grotesque clown mask I have ever seen. Also, I think it saw me, since it had all of the gun barrels pointing at me and I had no place to run. In fact, by the time I'd noticed, it was just about to fire, so I definitely couldn't escape. Again, for the second time in two days, I found myself mentally preparing for death.

The blow never came. I did, however, hear a loud cracking noise and saw, in my horrible vision, a large part of a tree fall close to where I was sitting. I probably didn't notice it in my panic. I was allowed a few more moments to live, apparently. The amulet was glowing quite fiercely, though, so it wouldn't take long for the demon to home in on me. Regardless, I was glad to be alive.

"Hallelujah, hallelujah, I'm not dead yet." I choked out. The amulet got so bright I couldn't even see in front of me, before suddenly jumping onto my head and taking the form of what felt like a headset. I heard steps approaching me.

"MELODY, IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE, SING!" Aunty roared over the noise. Sing?! What kind of weird command was that? How could I sing when I was being fired at? "STOP THINKING AND JUST DO IT!" Aunty yelled from somewhere behind me. Then again, if she can give such a weird instruction, she probably knows more than I do as to what's going on. So I sang.

"_Sáncte Míchael Archángele, _

_defénde nos in proélio, _

_cóntra nequítiam et insídias diáboli ésto præsídium. _

_Ímperet ílli Déus, _

_súpplices deprecámur: tuque,_

_ prínceps milítiæ cæléstis, _

_Sátanam aliósque spíritus malígnos, _

_qui ad perditiónem animárum pervagántur in múndo, _

_divína virtúte, in inférnum detrúde. _

_Ámen._"

All I could remember at that point was the prayer of St. Michael the Archangel, so I sang. Then things got strange again. As soon as I'd started the hymn, the large bulbous…thing froze on the spot, and started twitching as though it were paralyzed. Then it started to vibrate violently, before I heard another sound…the sound of an organ symphony. That was followed by the metallic sound of a blade, finally ending when I got to the "Amen". The demon screamed and disappeared. I thought I heard a relieved sigh, but I couldn't be sure, it was so fleeting and faint. So that's what my aunt meant when she told me to sing. My voice has power like this…come to think of it, if I'd used it at the cemetery…no, I don't think I could have killed Joshua again. Even I could see that I had only managed to bind it.

When I got used to the newly-restored quiet, I noticed two blobs of colour coming towards, and with it, two sets of footsteps. The set closest to me was light, swift and purposeful, while the one a bit farther behind was more relaxed and heavier. I squinted up at…him, I think it's a man. The rhythm of footfalls seems to be like a man, don't ask me how I know that, I just know. I had the distinct feeling he was looking me over or something. I tried to return the stare, but I couldn't really see where his eyes were. He was Oriental, I could tell that much by his colours.

"Che, another string bean. I don't know or care why you're here, little girl, but if you can't even fight off a level 1 on your own, you shouldn't be here," he said coldly before walking off to somewhere. Well, that wasn't very nice! I mean, sure they probably didn't need any help but I did _something._

"Don't mind Kanda," said a deeper, calmer voice from somewhere above me. "He's probably grumpy from sentry duty and only getting a level 1 akuma to fight." If I could see, I think he might have been smiling. I nodded to show I heard him. I saw a movement and flinched in reflex. When nothing hit me, I looked closer. I couldn't make out much of it, other than it had rings and that his skin was dark. "I'm Noise Marie. Are you alright?" I reached out to shake it and felt myself hauled to my feet. I could feel callouses on his palm, signs of a hard life.

"I'm a bit shaken, but otherwise fine," I said, smiling back. "My name is Melody Hunter. Er…you wouldn't happen to have seen my glasses, would you?"

"No, I'm afraid I haven't. Do you need help getting to Headquarters?" he asked. His voice was deep, and it rang with patience and kindness. There was also a certain reserve in there, and overall, it gave me the mental image of a bear.

"Please, if you wouldn't mind. I'm sorry to be a burden, I cannot see at all without my glasses." I saw a blur that was a person walk by.

"I'll take point then. Follow me and don't fall behind." It was Kanda, I think his name was. The grumpy samurai. I could hear his sword clicking against his side.

"Well, it's a good thing he's here." Noise Marie said, a smile in his words. "Otherwise it would be the blind leading the blind, haha." That joke was so…wow. Even I couldn't help laughing, even though logically, it shouldn't be funny.

So the three of us walked towards a cliff. I didn't know why we were just going there, but I kept a grin on my face and followed without question. That Kanda guy wasn't nice, but I was sure he knew what he was doing. He pressed a few buttons and said some things I couldn't make out into an intercom, and the cliff face opened, revealing an elevator.

"Whoa…"

"Are you coming or not? I'll leave you here if you're just going to gape," Kanda said.

"Ah, I'm sorry." I stepped inside, and went up, up…towards destiny.


	5. The Black Order

Song 5: The Black Order

_Have hope, you small and suffering_

_Today is hard, but tomorrow has the promise of a blessing._

The elevator ride didn't take long. Or maybe it just felt short, I'm still not sure. We were going up a tall cliff, so it must have taken some time. It wasn't going particularly fast too, judging on how comfortable the motion was. My perception of everything was messed up. I was dead tired from everything that happened, I couldn't see even the hand in front of my face, and my hearing was so oddly hypersensitive, though I think that might have been because of that odd headset that I was still wearing.

"So what brings you here? You don't seem like someone who came to join the Order," Noise Marie said, breaking the silence.

"There's somebody I need to find. I owe my life to him- he saved me from a demon last night." I didn't trust any of them enough yet to tell them exactly what happened. "I originally wanted just to give him my thanks, but after getting attacked by that thing earlier, it seems like Heaven may have other plans for me. What was that thing, anyways?"

"Ah, I see. I hope you find your saviour," Noise Marie said. Thankfully he didn't try to recruit me right then and there. It's not like I needed much convincing anyways. "That thing was a level 1 demon or akuma. Have you fought them before?"

"No, this is my first time, forgive my lack of skill please," I answered. I stuck my chin out, looking up at them. It was kind of childish on my part, but I felt embarrassed admitting that I never fought before to two obviously seasoned fighters.

I thought I heard a "che" from Kanda. Let him think what he will. In fact, so much the better if he underestimates me. People at the debate club at university did that, and I was afforded an edge against them.

"There's room for improvement. That wasn't bad for your first time," he said.

"Thank you, I think. Where are we going?"

"You're going to meet with the Chief," Noise Marie replied. "…He's a bit eccentric, try not to let it get it you."

After a short while more, we stopped in front of a large dark wall. There was a large dark blue blob that I couldn't identify on this wall. I felt myself pushed in front of this blob, so I guessed it was a gate. There was another, smaller black blob floating around us.

"Welcome back Exorcists!" a voice came over the floating black blob. "Hey, who's the girl?"

I had a feeling that if I let Kanda speak, it would not be anything pleasant. So I quickly jumped in to speak for myself. Perhaps I was weak in battle, but I was not some demure young miss.

"Good evening, forgive my intrusion. My name is Melody Hunter. I was told of this place by someone wearing your coat of arms, but I was unable to identify them. I would like to request an audience with any knowledgeable individual. I am in possession of an active demon-fighting apparatus and I have survived two attacks." I didn't intend to add in that last bit, but I was afraid that if I didn't make some mention of it, they would shrug me off and tell me to go home.

"Alright, stand in front of the gatekeeper for an examination please," the voice on the other side said. I turned back towards the huge, dark blue blob…except that this blob had elongated significantly and I could see a pair…four pairs…a line? Darn astigmatism. I saw white, and I had the feeling that someone was staring at me.

"Good evening, sir." I was under the impression that the thing with white that was getting in my face was sentient.

"Proceeding with examination, please hold still~" the blue blob had a large voice. I held still and looked up at him. A bright beam of light passed over me. I thought I heard something say "so cute, so cute," but maybe I was hallucinating. "All clear! Come right in!" The gate swung open. I felt that familiar calloused hand take mine and we walked inside. I eventually decided to close my eyes, as I couldn't see anything anyways.

That's not to say that I was unaware of what was going on around me. I heard everything. I couldn't pick out specific conversations, but I could hear the warmth, the relief, even some of the worry and grief that flowed out from everyone present. What I heard also was turmoil. It seemed like the place was getting ready for something big. I could feel the floor beneath my feet- it was hard, I think the floor was of stone. We went up several sets of stairs and through several smaller corridors until we were in a warm room that didn't have much of an echo.

"See you, Melody," Marie said, letting me go in the room. I heard two sets of steps leave hurriedly, as though they didn't want to be there. What could be so horrible about the room that they'd try to escape as soon as they could? I didn't hear anything except the breathing of two people…one of whom sounded like they were sleeping.

"Komui, someone's here to see you- Komui, wake up." Another male voice said. I had opened my eyes again at that point, to see one white blob shaking another white blob. Then I heard the taller white blob sigh and lean down to whisper in his hear ear. "Lenalee's getting married tomorrow," the tall white blob said. He didn't sound like he meant it though. What could he be saying such an odd phrase for? Who was "Lenalee"?

Suddenly the sleeping white blob jumped up, holding what sounded like a whirring drill in his hand. There was a noticeable feeling of anguish, anger and hurt around him. It would have been comical if that drill didn't sound so menacing. "Lenalee, how could you get married without telling your own brother?!" he shouted. I felt compelled to take a step back- he sounded absolutely insane. The other white blob made a movement from where he was standing.

"Sorry about that, it's the only way to wake him when he's asleep," the normal-sounding white blob said. The insane white blob that the normal white blob called "Komui" suddenly stopped his frenzied movement and seemed to be staring at me. That made me very nervous. Faster than I could follow, he was suddenly in front of me, carrying something long and shiny in his hand.

"I haven't seen you around here before," he said casually. "Are you an exorcist or a scientist? You don't look like one of the finders or medics…~" I swear he was leering at me right then. That tone he had was VERY creepy.

"Exorcist? Scientist?" I could only repeat stupidly.

"Oh, so you're a normal person! This isn't a place for normal people to be, you know! How did you even find this place? Wait, that doesn't matter, you'll have to forget aaaaaall about this place!" Komui said, stepping closer and closer, close enough for me to see that in his hand was a needle! I hate needles! Especially the ones with unknown liquids!

"Hey, wait a second-" I tried to say, while clumsily stepping from him, trying to escape, but slipping on the papers on the floor before I could get too far. He was fast, very fast, and what little I had, I lost within moments. He was looming over me, his glasses flashing in a maniacal way and the needle poised over me, I think he was aiming for my neck! I had no idea what was in the syringe, what if it caused permanent brain damage as well as making me forget this place?! "NuuuOOOOOOOOO!" I shrieked as loudly as I could, I think I hit a high F right then. All of a sudden Komui-blob was gone and I heard a muffled crash. Oops, did I accidentally attack him? "Er…I'm sorry, are you-eh?" I heard some steps and again the blob called Komui was hovering over me again. Dimly, I noted that the other white blob hadn't made a move to help at all and seemed to be muttering in exasperation.

"Ohey, what's that?" he said, prodding my headset. I couldn't do much except sit there and shake in nervousness again. He was hopping on all sides of me, poking the headband, tapping the mic, touching my earpieces. "Huh, so you have a piece of Innocence! Interesting, yours seems to be an Equipment type. I wonder how it escaped notice for so long~. Alright, you have thirty seconds to say why and how you came here! START!" he waved a small black and white checkered flag. I was so scared I ended up speed talking to try to get my point across before he tried to stab me with a needle again.

"Last night Exorcist saved my life from akuma and Millennium Earl came here to find and thank him didn't see who he was just a lot of white thought he was an angel told me about this place said to stop by something about Innocence and joining an Order!" I think I was babbling at this point. I wasn't sure if I was making sense and frankly I wasn't sure if I cared. I was more concerned on keeping whatever he had in that needle OUT of my system. Suddenly he stopped trying to attack me, his posture changing to become stiffer, more at attention. Something I said had touched a nerve.

"Where did you see him?" Komui asked. The insanity was gone from his voice.

"See who?" I squeaked, my voice one octave higher than it should have been.

"The Millennium Earl. Where were you when you saw him?" he asked.

"I- I was at Bunhill Cemetery," I replied. Good grief, I hate how my voice shakes!

"What happened when you met him?" Komui asked.

"We were going to visit the grave of my best friend's boyfriend. The Earl was standing at the gravesite…he made a deal with my friend. I tried," I gulped, trying not to let my emotions burn me again. "I tried to stop her. I tried to tell her that she shouldn't disturb his rest, but she didn't listen to me. The Earl brought back Josh as an akuma. Josh killed her, and then the Earl ordered him to kill me. The Earl even joined the hunt to box me in against a fence and a tree. I think this…thing here, it activated, but I did not know how to use it." I touched the headset. "Had it not been for the guardian angel that sent Josh back and drove away the Earl, I would have died." The white blob moved to a large blotch of parchment-coloured wall and stuck something on it. I assumed it was a marker made to map out this Earl's movements. For a long moment, he didn't say anything, so I began feeling my way towards a chair. Er…one of five chairs? I hate having astigmatism, without glasses I have no idea how many of anything there actually are.

While I was blindly crawling along, I felt a pair of strong hands pick me up and guide me to the chair. "You look like you need a hand. Are you blind?" It was the other blob- the sane blob.

"No, I'm not blind. I do, however, have severe myopia and astigmatism. Thank you for your help." I kept my ears trained on Komui. How could I trust him not to be completely insane again?

"Melody." Komui said. His voice held no sign of a joke. I looked up to show I'd heard. "You were lucky to survive. What will you do now? You're free to choose, of course, but it might be safer for you to stay and become an Exorcist if the Earl has taken notice of you. At the very least, you'll learn how to defend yourself if you're attacked again."

"If I stay, what will happen to me and my family?" Aunty said that if I were to join, I may never see my family again. I wanted to know how true this was.

"Well, once you join the Order, you won't be able to quit, and- well, you can read the rest for yourself, here's the instruction manual!" I felt a very large book dropped into my hands. When I said large, I really did mean large. It was as thick as the public policies textbook I had to read during last term!

"Seriously…?" I started to wonder if I needed to know half the stuff that was in here, and how they managed to amass so many members if everyone had to read a large tome before signing the contract.

"Komui, what did the poor girl ever do to deserve that?! Are you trying to get her killed?!" The sane white blob asked.

"Life has no freebies, Reever! Everyone must work hard to get what they need!" Komui replied loudly.

"And surviving two akuma attacks in a row isn't enough?!" If I could see, I bet there would have been an anger tick on his temple. He then deflated a bit and heaved a sigh. "Alright, listen up and save your questions until the end. I'll explain what you need to know." I nodded once, to show I'd heard. "If you join as an Exorcist, you are bound to serve for life. You won't be able to contact your family, and if you die in battle, we won't tell your family, so that you will not return as an akuma. We also can't tell your family how you're doing. We can, however, compensate your family for your service."

"So basically, if I say yes to this deal, I am dead to my family, and you guys become my new family, am I correct?" I said.

"I wouldn't say you're dead to your family, but that's the gist of it." Reever answered.

"What happens if I say no?"

"You get to go home to your family, but all your memories about this place and events leading up to you coming here will be erased. We will also have to take your Innocence for safekeeping." Reever replied.

"Alright…um, if you don't mind me asking, is my aunt okay…? I'm sorry, it's really sudden, but she ran off and-"

"Don't worry, she's fine. After she alerted us to the akuma, we got her to a safe place. She left behind your two suitcases, by the way." Reever said. I could feel tears welling up but I willed them back. Aunty must have guessed what I might do.

"…I…I see. That's good. Could you please do me a favour then?" I took a deep breath. My decision was made. Once I spoke my wish, I would never be able to turn back from it.

"Depends on the favour," Komui said lightly.

"Please…tell my family…I'm following Grandmother's footsteps. I will join your Order, I will learn to fight!" I stared up at them.

"Well, I can't turn down a face like that," Komui said, getting up…and producing what appeared to be several other instruments. "But first, let's try to fix your eyes!"

"Komui!" Reever yelled in distress. I blinked, before registering that Komui was approaching me with several instruments that I probably didn't want to find out about. But he kept coming closer, and closer, and I had nowhere to go. Once he'd gotten close enough, I found out that yes, I really didn't want to know what they were. They sounded and looked like sharp implements- surely he wasn't planning to…right?!

"Hold still Melody, and this might not hurt…too much!" He said with a grin.

"W-what are you doing?!" I struggled to back away.

"Eye surgery, of course! We can't have you going around the way you are now! You'd be killed in an instant! I read about this new procedure that everyone says is working…hehehe," he said, chuckling and bringing the sharp objects closer. This man was absolutely insane! He could make me go legitimately blind if I didn't stop him!

"H-hey, can't I just get a pair of goggles from the scientists?!" And one of the instruments whirred menacingly. "O-oi! Don't get any closer…Hey! No I don't want surgery, it's okay really!" He didn't listen. He kept getting closer, and closer, and- wow he looks like a mad scientist! Is he going to turn me into a monster? He was practically on top of me again, I couldn't help screaming. "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAA! NOOOOOOOOOOO!" And once more Komui was sent flying from the force of the shout that the headset amplified. "D'oh…" I buried my face in my hands.

"You just don't learn, Chief…" Reever groaned. "Don't worry, he'll be fine in a moment."

Sure enough, within moments he sprang to his feet as though nothing ever happened. On the one hand, I'm glad I didn't hurt him, but on the other, I can't help wondering if I'm really that weak. "Well then! You seem to be in good health! Let's get you downstairs to be checked over by Hevlaska and then the Science Department will get you your lenses. Come along now, time's a-wasting!" He tugged me out and we started a long walk down.

Komui and Reever led me down what seemed like several corridors again. I had my eyes closed, it was becoming a headache to try to look at everything and figure out what everything was. They were tall men and I was practically jogging to keep up with them.

"So what exactly is this thing on my head…you called it, um…Innocence or something?" I finally caught my breath enough to ask when we were standing on some kind of platform. "You said something about Equipmen- hm? What's going on?" I felt something that felt like tendrils and limbs snaking around me, patting me on the head, patting my body…and then it picked me up. I had a feeling I was going up a long way, and I didn't dare open my eyes. I also thought maybe it would be safer not to struggle, so I hung onto whatever was holding me as tightly as I could. The thing was warm, so I figured it was alive. "Um…hello?" What was I supposed to say to it?

"Hello," The Large Thing replied. Oh, it sounds like a woman. A very…big woman? Was it a woman? She sounded like one but she had so many limbs. What could she be, really? I felt something patting my head again and I got the distinct impression she was checking over my…er…Innocence? I really should give it a proper name, it sounds weird to keep calling it Innocence. "Your Innocence… You are a new pair…who have just found…each other," she said. Her voice was slow, but it had an ancient, comforting resonance to it.

"How is she, Hevlaska?" I heard Komui ask from somewhere…very far below me, us.

If I was nervous about her before, I wasn't now. She sounded almost motherly. I felt another poke, and I heard a faint humming in my earphones before the weight suddenly disappeared off my head. The choker, I found, was back around my neck. I felt something poking around there too. "1%...2%...16%...32%...40%...49%! You seem to be about 49% synchronized with your Innocence."

"Er…is that bad? And what does synchronization mean?" I'm not sure what it is, but the low number worries me a bit. I feel like it should be concerned…

"It isn't high…" Hevlaska said, "but it isn't dangerous. Your synchronization percentage…indicates the degree…you can use your Innocence. The lower it is…the harder it is to use…your Innocence, and it may…become dangerous to your life. However, you two…are still new…you will improve with experience."

"Oh. Then I am glad. Thank you." Hevlaska lowered me to the platform and released me when my feet found ground.

"Have faith…and never stop singing…your voices are small…but even small voices can move hearts." Hevlaska said, and then the platform began to move again. The images of Clara, the guard in my old dorm, my family and my aunt flashed through my mind. _Never stop singing._ I nodded to her.

"As long as I have breath, I will never stop singing."


End file.
